One of the most famous of all New Orleans jazz clarinetists, Pete Fountain has the ability to play songs that he has performed a countless number of times (such as "Basin Street Blues") with so much enthusiasm that one would swear he had just discovered them. His style and most of his repertoire have remained unchanged since the late '50s, yet... [+] Read More

One of the most famous of all New Orleans jazz clarinetists, Pete Fountain has the ability to play songs that he has performed a countless number of times (such as "Basin Street Blues") with so much enthusiasm that one would swear he had just discovered them. His style and most of his repertoire have remained unchanged since the late '50s, yet he never sounds bored. In 1948, Fountain (who is heavily influenced by Benny Goodman and Irving Fazola) was a member of the Junior Dixieland Band and this was followed by a stint with Phil Zito and an important association with the Basin Street Six (1950-1954), with whom the clarinetist made his first recordings. In 1955, Fountain was a member of the Dukes of Dixieland, but his big breakthrough came when he was featured playing a featured Dixieland number or two on each episode of The Lawrence Welk Show during 1957-1959. After he left, he moved back to New Orleans, opened his own club, and has played there regularly up until retiring from the nightclub business in early 2003. Fountain's finest recordings were a lengthy string for Coral during 1959-1965 (they turned commercial for a period after that). ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A virtuoso on the trumpet, Al Hirt was often "overqualified" for the Dixieland and pop music that he performed. He studied classical trumpet at the Cincinnati Conservatory (1940-1943) and was influenced by the playing of Harry James. He freelanced in swing bands (including both Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Ray McKinley) before returning to New... [+] Read More

A virtuoso on the trumpet, Al Hirt was often "overqualified" for the Dixieland and pop music that he performed. He studied classical trumpet at the Cincinnati Conservatory (1940-1943) and was influenced by the playing of Harry James. He freelanced in swing bands (including both Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Ray McKinley) before returning to New Orleans in the late '40s and becoming involved in the Dixieland movement. He teamed up with clarinetist Pete Fountain on an occasional basis from 1955 on, and became famous by the end of the decade. An outstanding technician with a wide range, along with a propensity for playing far too many notes, Hirt had some instrumental pop hits in the 1960s. He also recorded swing and country music, but mostly stuck to Dixieland in his live performances. He remained a household name throughout his career, although one often feels that he could have done so much more with his talent. Hirt's early Audiofidelity recordings (1958-1960) and collaborations with Fountain are the most rewarding of his long career; he died at his home in New Orleans on April 27, 1999. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Firehouse Five Plus Two started out as an amateur Dixieland band mostly comprised of cartoon animators from the Disney Studios. Their spontaneous sessions (led by trombonist Ward Kimball) were so successful that they started recording for Good Time Jazz in 1949 and soon became a popular attraction, while never giving up their day jobs. In... [+] Read More

The Firehouse Five Plus Two started out as an amateur Dixieland band mostly comprised of cartoon animators from the Disney Studios. Their spontaneous sessions (led by trombonist Ward Kimball) were so successful that they started recording for Good Time Jazz in 1949 and soon became a popular attraction, while never giving up their day jobs. In addition to colorful Dixieland ensembles and solos, the band often let off a siren during their hotter choruses and were not shy to inject their music with a healthy dose of humor. They recorded regularly for Good Time Jazz during 1949-1960 with additional albums cut in 1962, 1964, and 1969. In addition to Kimball, the band included trumpeter Johnny Lucas (for the first session), cornetist Danny Alguire, clarinetist Clarke Mallory, and, from 1960 on, George Probert on soprano and clarinet. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Trumpeter Frank Assunto (who was also a fine singer) and his brother/trombonist Fred Assunto formed the Dukes of Dixieland in 1948 and won a Horace Heidt talent contest. In 1950, they started a long engagement at the Famous Door in New Orleans. An early member of the group was clarinetist Pete Fountain and the Assunto's father, Papa Jac, joined... [+] Read More

Trumpeter Frank Assunto (who was also a fine singer) and his brother/trombonist Fred Assunto formed the Dukes of Dixieland in 1948 and won a Horace Heidt talent contest. In 1950, they started a long engagement at the Famous Door in New Orleans. An early member of the group was clarinetist Pete Fountain and the Assunto's father, Papa Jac, joined the band in 1955 on banjo and second trombone. The group's first recordings were for Band Wagon in 1951 and Fountain appeared on their 1955 Vik date, but the Dukes really caught on with a dozen albums cut for Audio Fidelity during 1956-1960. During this period, the Dukes also recorded twice with Louis Armstrong. The band hit its peak with their Columbia records of 1961-1964 (featuring clarinetist Jerry Fuller), particularly an exciting set recorded at Disneyland. Their Decca and Coral dates of 1965-1966, although of some interest, are a step down in quality. Both Fred (1966) and Frank (1974) died of cancer. In the late '70s, a new Dukes of Dixieland was formed but this group is somewhat corny and inferior in quality, having no real connection to the original band. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

An excellent singer who has been associated with swing and Dixieland, Barbara Lea has never broken through with the general public, but she has recorded quite a few worthy albums. She sang with Detroit dance orchestras while in school, performed with the college jazz band (the Crimson Stompers) at Harvard, and worked on the East Coast in the... [+] Read More

An excellent singer who has been associated with swing and Dixieland, Barbara Lea has never broken through with the general public, but she has recorded quite a few worthy albums. She sang with Detroit dance orchestras while in school, performed with the college jazz band (the Crimson Stompers) at Harvard, and worked on the East Coast in the 1950s. She recorded for Riverside (1955) and Prestige (1956-1957), using such sidemen as trumpeter Johnny Windhurst and pianists Billy Taylor and Dick Hyman. In the 1960s, Lea worked as a stage actress and taught. In the 1970s, she sang with Dick Sudhalter and Ed Polcer and recorded in the 1980s for Audiophile, including a tribute to her idol and influence, Lee Wiley. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Cornetist Bob Schulz leads his Frisco Jazz Band (a septet also featuring clarinetist Kim Cusack, trombonist Tom Bartlett, and pianist Ray Skjelbred) on a tribute to Turk Murphy. Virtually all of the arrangements and frameworks of the 20 selections had been used by Murphy, and the repertoire, which has many lesser-known tunes such as "Flamin'... [+] Read More

Cornetist Bob Schulz leads his Frisco Jazz Band (a septet also featuring clarinetist Kim Cusack, trombonist Tom Bartlett, and pianist Ray Skjelbred) on a tribute to Turk Murphy. Virtually all of the arrangements and frameworks of the 20 selections had been used by Murphy, and the repertoire, which has many lesser-known tunes such as "Flamin' Mamie," "Social Polecat," and "You Can't Shush Katie (The Gabbiest Girl in Town)," in addition to a few more familiar favorites, such as "Down Home Rag," "South," and "Ace in the Hole" all receive favorable treatment The ensembles are clean and exciting, while the solos are inventive within the form; even the four "musician vocals" are reasonably enjoyable. Recommended to trad jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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The South Frisco Jazz Band was originally formed in 1956, and although they have changed their personnel quite a bit since then (banjoist Vince Saunders is the only founding member still with the group four decades later), they have stuck to their original musical vision of playing music in the style of Lu Watters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band and Turk... [+] Read More

The South Frisco Jazz Band was originally formed in 1956, and although they have changed their personnel quite a bit since then (banjoist Vince Saunders is the only founding member still with the group four decades later), they have stuck to their original musical vision of playing music in the style of Lu Watters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band and Turk Murphy. By the late 1970s, the current edition of the band was largely together. This exciting CD is a definitive example of the South Frisco Jazz Band at its best, featuring the cornets of Leon Oakley and Dan Comins, Mike Baird on clarinet and alto, trombonist Jim Snyder, pianist Rob Rhodes, Saunders, Bob Rann on tuba and drummer Lloyd Byassee. Whether it be songs from the Turk Murphy songbook, familiar Dixieland standards ("That's A Plenty" and "Come Back Sweet Papa"), classic blues, or an occasional obscurity, the hard-driving group is heard throughout in top form. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Vocalist Barbara Lea thought that women songwriters (both composers and lyricists) have never gotten sufficient exposure for their overall contributions, so she decided to devote an entire CD to works by women songwriters. Accompanied by the talented pianist Keith Ingham, Lea explores songs from several decades, both familiar and obscure. Lea... [+] Read More

Vocalist Barbara Lea thought that women songwriters (both composers and lyricists) have never gotten sufficient exposure for their overall contributions, so she decided to devote an entire CD to works by women songwriters. Accompanied by the talented pianist Keith Ingham, Lea explores songs from several decades, both familiar and obscure. Lea has been singing for decades, yet has been unjustly overlooked. Yet her pitch is still right on the money over five decades after her debut. Lily Strickland composed "Mah Lindy Lou," a now overlooked gem from the 1920s, as Lea sings it with a simple elegance, backed by Ingham's quietly striding piano. One of the best known songs heard on this disc is Kay Swift's hit "Fine and Dandy," taken at a leisurely tempo by Lea, who also restores the frequently omitted verse. Bernice Petkere's "Lullaby of the Leaves" has long been popular with instrumentalists, though singers tend to overlook it; Lea savors ever word of Joe Young's lyrics. Ella Fitzgerald is probably the best known performer of hundreds of vocalists and instrumentalist to record "How High the Moon," but Lea comfortably makes it her own, once again restoring the omitted verse before delivering a warm rendition at a relaxed tempo. The playfulness of pianist Una Mae Carlisle's "Walking by the River" suggests the influence of Fats Waller. But the most hilarious track is Lora Lee's lively "Pettin' and Pokin'," a wild romp about a noisy couple. Every track is of interest and it would make sense for Barbara Lea and Keith Ingham to record a similar songbook representing similar songwriters whose work is not represented on this excellent CD. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A collection of The Assunto's most popular material is delivered with vim and vigor. ~ Bruce Boyd Raeburn, All Music Guide

A collection of The Assunto's most popular material is delivered with vim and vigor. ~ Bruce Boyd Raeburn, All Music Guide [-] Hide